Confirmed: Maloney joins Celtic

Its a shame he couldn't settle -- I think he could have been good for us. But he didn't so we should move on. I doubt his move means a replacement is lined up -- I think it just reflects the fact he desperately wanted to leave.

Damien - any more news on De La Red? (Sorry if you've already updated in a previous blog)

I think Maloney was given a fair crack, he just didn't take it well enough. He wasn't bad, but I don't think he's leaving cos of that, it's probably more he's wanted to go back to scotland ever since he got here.

Paul MW

[url]LINK[/url]

Read the above. That was posted before we told you a bid was going in. Should put some light on the subject for you.

Thanks for the link Damien - I've read the article (I'd read it before) -- which part are you seeking to emphasise? That the De La Red deal is probably dependent on Barry leaving or that you're a blogger not a professional journalist? In any event, I suppose the answer is no, you have no more info.

Paul MW
The first part .. but the answer is as you suspect.

shame he didnt settle i think he could of been a good player for us if he did, game she played he showed promise and his free kicks were clinical

Thank God!!!

Argh, not happy!

Although, if he really wasn't happy then I can only wish him the best ...

So our tiny squad is still tiny i'm worried. If we sign 3 more players our squad is still tiny. Why sell players when we are in this state?

o well upwards and onwards

Well if MON thought he could get away without signing a right winger before, he sure as hell needs to get one now.

Maloney had to go, because he didn't convince MoN that he could do a job. Regardless of whether or not he's talented, it's no big loss, because he wouldn't of seen much playing time. Whether this changes MoN's transfer plans I doubt, because I'm sure he was working on the basis that Maloney wouldn't really feature. What Maloney's exit DOES do is convince me that MoN IS in the market for a RW, and that a suitable player will be coming in, in addition to a striker. Should we secure these signings, hopefully the Barry saga will be put to bed for good, as surely we'll have a team that can finish in the top 4 at least (as long as Barry stays of course).

As an aside, could the Maloney transfer be similar to that of Davis and Hughes to Fulham last summer? They went out, and Knight came in - although there was a fair old gap in between. Could something similar with McGeady happen? And if so, is he any good, with a Milner or SWP - depending on who you rate - as a benchmark?

Either MON has a greater belief in Routledge or he has certainty on signing a new RW - SWP / JC / JM... or someone else??

McGeady is good but i just don't think he's the answer to our problem. I'd like to see Milner or Lennon as they both have room to improve there crossing and man beating ability like Young has since he joined us.

Joe cole is a absolute non-starter in my opinion he's averaging about 38 - 45 games a season for chelsea, He's an england regular, he's guaranteed at least 2 good cup runs, Maybe 3 winners medals a season and he's guaranteed european football every season. Hardly a situation you'd want to leave is it ?. Swp is pretty much guaranteed the same just less games that's why he's willing to stay. Milner is gettable if Keegan would be willing to sell but then he'd have the same problem as us! so it's a hard signing to get. Lennon all depends on Ramos signing a LW and maybe a striker. It's slim pickings so we might just have to shop abroad.

I really wanted him to stay as I think he is a really good player, just never got the run of games - we prob weren't strong enough to allow a player time to adjust tho.

Anyway hope we sign players asap - as we really need that right winger! And please lets get Santa Cruz.

Maloney wan't a bad little player but didn't really offer the squad anything more than an extra name to fill the team sheet in his time with us, IMO.I will always be greatfull for the 2 goals against Chelsea at the bridge last season though.

Hopefully this will place more importance on bringing in a quality RM because i think this is the position, which if addressed properly, would benefit the team the most right now.

a)Because it would give the team a better balance, and
b)Because it would give Ashley Young more freedom

Yay goodbye underachiever.
We now have the same amount of players as at the close of last season woohoo.

It's a shame he's gone but I can see why. He never really settled down here and in the chances he did get, which, to be fair, was enough for him to showcase his talents, he never really shone for me. Odd flashes of greatness but all too often found wanting IMO. I'm sure he'll see out the rest of his playing career at Celtic now - once bitten and all that.

i am gutted that maloney has gone. i dont think it will affect the team but it will effect the squad because he really would of added real quality to are bench!!he could have been a big impact sub!
but he didnt have the chance to get in last season because ash was playing so well.he never really had a settled role either!

All the best Shaun!!
So now we don't have any more players than we had last season!! 6 in (I know we've signed 7 on permanent deals, but Davies was in the squad last season anyway), 6 out.
We needed 5 players added to the squad size we had last season and I don't see us getting 5 more in. It's obvious GB is going to leave, so that makes 6 players needed - 1 of those would have to be world-class to replace GB and move us on.
While I'm hopeful for this season, I just see us squandering another opportunity to put pressure on Liverpool and Arsenal, cos we'll ultimately have a bad spell during hte season, and nothing to freshen it up when needed, at this rate. Everton are blowing it already, Spurs will come good, and if West Ham, Newcastle, Portsmouth and maybe a couple of others perform to their ability (all with bigger squad depth than Villa) we may take a step backwards :-(

we may have the same amount of players as last season but they are of a bbetter quality, friedel over sorensen, sidwell over berger, young over no-one and cuellar over cahill. i know im happier now

Sorry this isnt nothing to do with Maloney but...

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE VILLA WILL BE DRINKING TOMMOROW?

Im going with a few lads and like most of us have never been there before so am stuck to where were gonna meet for a few beers before the game.

We'll sign at least two more players. So I'm not overly worried about squad size. Plus, we have three players---Delfouneso, Baker, Stieber---who can now do a job if we need them to.

aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh. seriously in bad form.
woke up this morning hoping that we have moved closer to signing somebody and what do i hear,

barry,barry,barry,barry,barry,barry,barry,barry,barry.
players out ,no players in.

aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.going to go mad.

for feck sake if somebody leaves replace him immediatley,
common sence.

i dont know about anyone else but im for one am pissed right off with lack of signings. sure we got a few good players in but not enough.

i think they should give the cheque book to my girlfriend i showed her all the signins we should have got from the website,and she said why not buy them all. so true.

6 out 6 in 9 days to go!! i know the players in may be of better quality but that doesnt hide the fact we dont have enough players. MON has told us this himself. we need 5 players minimum. we arent going to be as lucky with injuries and suspensions this season. i really cannot understand letting anyone leave when our squad is so small and now back to the size that oneil has said was lucky to cope last season. jesus we are going to have potentially 20 more games this season!! get it sorted!!

A couple of people have sent me messages saying that there are lot of murmurs going round Villa that Milner is on his way. Not sure how true this is to be honest. Sounds promising.

over on the villa forum there is talk that chelsea reps were at villa on tuesday and whsipers about falco, santa cruz, cole ,wright - phillips and milner all being in the frame. Dont know how true it is but the guy posting seems adament. So we will see what happens thing next week we will see a few new faces

bulldog

what forum?

avfc.co.uk log in its in the rumours section some user call holte2008

MON said he will address the tiny squad because as he said we will not be able to cope. Well so far we have a squad the same size & we all know that the 8 players required to give us a decent squad will not be coming. SO WHY ARE WE SELLING PLAYERS it's fuuucking madness. Also why are we being linked with either players we will never get or players like Doyle that are just not good enough. I just can't understand what MON thinks he is doing he even says he didn't want Maloney to go WELL WHY FUUCKING SELL HIM THEN. Like i say madness.

Does the OS have a forum?

i knew they used to but it was awful .. i'm not even going to bother looking mind

its the message boards they have on the main website

jinksy...there's only like 10 days to go now, so not long to keep the faith. If on the morning of 2nd September we're still in this position have a go all you want at MON....However at the moment we are in a much stronger position, plus I am sure others will be coming in. I even think GB will be going, but will be replaced with quality.

OK...However I'm not paying to go on that load of old tripe...especially when you can get better here! ;D

Jesus, people, stop panicking! Maloney never looked like he could really cut it in the prem apart from short bursts, and he's definately at the right place for the sort of footy he plays - a bit more time to think on the ball etc. As for lack of signings, I'd rather stick with the limited number of good lads (shorey, Luke Young) and exceptional talent (Freidel, Cuellar) than fill the ranks with a load of old shite that is good only for the middle of the table (I would list these but they are too numerous)Things are going in the right direction - this team is undoubtedly already the best Villa team for many a year. Reading between the lines, don't be suprised to see Milner in a villa shirt before the end of the month - things are going to be fine. Someone said on this site the other day that good players attract more good players, and the process is starting to happen. A good season this year and next summer we'll start to attract the so called 'big four' type players.

Apart from the numbers, Maloney certainly won't be missed. Wish him well, but he obviously wasn't cut out for the EPL.

santa cruz just signed four year contract at blackburn

maloney has said he never wanted to play for us

Shame he is gone never thought he was given a real chance, next out Harewood please! please! please! please! cant MoM see he's terrible and clueless!

..and Santa Cruz has just signed a 4 year contract with Blackburn so that's not an option anymore.

See how all the speculation was rubbish? we will now get Doyle!

The dream was nice though......

Joe Cole.... haha i like my new away and i was happy to buy' very fit blonde at the villa shop..... ;)

I rated Maloney, just didnt settle did he really, not good enough for the first 11, It shows SANTA CRUZ'S ambition doesnt it really, 4yr contract....some words come to mind... BIG FISH SMALL POND..I think Blackburn signing his younger brother had a lot to do with him signing.... it looks like Doyle it is then, i know he gets slated on here but i think he's quite decent..He's worth 5mill max, I would like us to go for Falcao now.

Maloney interview on Sky was not very flattering to Villa "I knew I made wrong decision", "I knew was not the club I wanted to play for"....bet the wages were nice though for a couple of free kicks and a few step overs. Face it, you were out of your league in the PL.

Robinho has said that he wants to join Chelsea, but Madrid want a replacement first. This may open things up for SWP??? F me anyone on the right.

I have a feeling Mon is lost again in the transfer market.

Seems the wee man never wanted to play for the Villa,might explain why he didn't get a good run in the side and why MON has let him go back.

money grabbing wee d#ck - if he didn't want to come, why did he ? Cause we offered more money, thats why. away back to the mickey mouse league where you belong. i live in glasgow and even the celtic fans don't want him

Does anyone on here know any away pubs in stoke or am I the only villa fan on here going tomorrow?????????????????? >:(

Look at the squad list for this season, reads as 23 players compared to 21 last season so squad strength has improved and has a lot more quality!

Now on to Maloney. Yes he looked like a good player but there must have been something wrong because everytime he got a chance, he did ok but not for MON to think he deserved more, was probably the same in training. What I am really disappointed with is his saying that he knew it was the wrong move when he got here, well how come it took 18 months to realise that! He couldn't cut it in the EPL, wasn't consistent enough and liked to sulk a lot. And if he can't even thank the fans who supported him while he was here, FCUK him!

hi
i think that maloney could have been given a better chance to prove his worth. As yes he did get a fewchances but usually when not in form.
but when he was in form like scoring two goals in one game and then being left on the bench. Especially even when we had no right winger.
Other thing is do you know anything about gardner going to newcastle for 2 million. And who are we getting for this right wing problem and a striker to challenge thew likes of gabby and carew for there places. It can only make them better.
Thanks Phil

I'm sorry to see him go :( but at least we made a decent profit on it.

The Harvester, situated next to the ground, allows away supportes in as long as club colours aren’t displayed. There’s also a Power League bar near to the ground which accepts away fans. Otherwise, it’s a trip into the city centre.
Stoke is not the most friendly place to go so be careful
up the villa we will win 4-0

oh actually now im changing my mind given that the whining has started

I meant to add a link there to the bbc story in which he says he never should have joined villa ... ungrateful sod!

So long Maloney, back to Florida- I mean Disneyland, no I mean Scotland, and your mickey mouse league. Another 1 out the door and no one else in. 7 players in, 5 out?!?!?!? MON must have something good up his sleeve cos all we've heard all summer long is that we cannot go into the new season with the same small squad as we had last year. WELL_?_?_? we now have a grand plus total of '2'!! Yes I think the quality of the squad is better with the exception of Mellberg, the other 4 out were worthless, AND at least we have a recognised RB. A gross addition of 2 is not going to get us into the top 4, and get us a good cup run, whether it be the LC FA or UEFA. We need a top quality striker, RW, 2 more midfielders, and back-up for both fullback positions. At least 5 more signings are necessary, otherwise as MON said we may end up like West Ham last season, because as sure as god made green apples we will not be as lucky with injuries as we were last season. Oh well, only 9 more days to go for me to refresh every website I know to see if the mighty Villa have signed anyone else. MON has shown signs in the last 10 days that he is finally comming out of his transfer signing slumber. Now someone needs to smack him upside the head to really wake him up for the final run in to the end of the month. In MON and Randy we trust. Just think this time tomorrow, with a good win, we will be top of the Prem.
Anyway a nice 94 F (34C)in Cleveland, OH today. Come on you Villa, and go Browns

parisianrob, Thanks. I seriously think we'll win 3 or 4-0, come on you lions!

Friedel
Young; Laursen; Davies; Shorey
Coker; Petrov; Barry; Young
Agbonlahor; Carew

Guzan/Taylor
Gardner; Cuellar; Knight; Bouma
Routledge; Sidwell; Salifou; Barry covers
Harewood; Delfouneso

From the speculation and what MoN has said, I think we can expect a winger (left or right would be fine, so long as they are of a high standard, though right is more likely as there are more of them about), a striker, and possibly a left back (with Mattock sounding promising, as he is very young and apparently can play left back and left mid). Signing these three would leave us only three stronger in numbers over last season, but with cover in every position (Gardner seems to have convinced MoN that he can cover at RB, though Davies may do some shifts there as well. Also, Barry staying is crucial, as he provides a much needed left mid option, as well as being a crucial part of our first XI). We don't need 5 or 6 more players. As it is with just three in the likes of Salifou, Osbourne, Delfouneso, O'Halloran, Baker and Stieber aren't in the first 22. That to me is a squad plenty big enough. We can't expect a squad of thirty players, all of whom are established, top-half Prem players. I bet ManUre don't even have 30 such players!

sod maloney wasnt good enough (good excuse though)didnt want to play for us. swp signing next week heard it hear first.

I don't think it was really working with Maloney at Villa, but him leaving creates a real worry for our squad. I think we now lack cover for both our strikers and both our wingers, even if we ever get that RM in. In addition to getting in that all important RM, we are desperate for a striker, preferable someone with a frame. What happens if Carew ever gets injured? The whole way we play is based on having a big target guy and I really cannot see us performing with Marlon up front and us having no senior striker on the bench. Getting that RM would at least mean we would have someone crossing the ball into the box when Ashley is not in there, since at the moment we are really depending on him too.

I really like our best lineup (although hoping that RM to pop up any day now..) but we are so very thin if any of our key guys get injured. With so many games coming up (and the games we have already had in the intertoto), this might be a long season for us. Cuellar and Sidwell look like good signings, now we need a few more up front.

Promises to be an exciting season, up the villa!

Agree with Simeon, we don't need 5 or 6 players. Where has all this balls come from all of a sudden? We've got 9 days to get a right winger and possibly a striker. By the looks of it Scolari's inviting offers for SWP this week. With an offer already in on Milner and Doyle available 'at a hefty' price, we'll be fine.

It came from Martin O'Neill. At the end of last season he said he wanted more players than this one.

While we've added to the squad numbers, from the academy, Martin O'Neill is also always talking about quality, so it is fair to assume that if he wants quality players and more than last season, that us fans can also expect more too.

Scolari has said on the BBC sport website that if the right offer's made for SWP the player can go..over to you, Martin ;)

TT77 we got all this balls from MON himself!!

santa cruz has signed a new contract at blackburn >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

well simply put, i am sad to see him leave because his finishing was brilliant! fair play to the lad, and best of luck at celtic!

MON never fancied Maloney when he was gaffer at C.P, He never got a game then so what did he expect when he went 2 villa? He aint half the player of McGeady who MON did rate and played but it would take at least 12mil to shift him after spurs paid 9 for Alan Hutton